Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, in Moscow.

Putin invited Lukashenko to the Kremlin on Wednesday.

Putin opened the talks by saying he expects to discuss many issues the two sides must cooperate on.

He said that means "cooperation in the international arena and jointly solving questions of ensuring the security of our states."

As Putin announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus last month, the two have likely exchanged views on the deployment.

Prior to his talks with Lukashenko, Putin gave a speech to newly arrived foreign diplomats, including US Ambassador Lynne M. Tracy.

Putin said, "Relations between Russia and the US, which directly impact global stability and security, are in a deep crisis."

He severely criticized the United States, saying Washington's support for mass 2014 protests in Kyiv that ousted Ukraine's president at the time lie at the roots of the current conflict.